Best Austin Kent Podcasts (2024)

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Episode 136: Dude? Dude. 40:52

10M ago40:52

40:52

if you are like us, you think a lot about words and where they come from. and if you're like Mattie you spend weeks researching them. this week we talk about the word dude, where it came from, how it has been used, and how it changed. we also read a VERY long poem.By Will This Be on the Test?

1
Episode 135: Monopolies 22:03

10M ago22:03

22:03

have you ever played the boardgame Monopoly and wanted to flip the board in frustration? well, what if I told you that you can feel that powerlessness and hopelessness in real-life? all you need is a corporation to form a real monopoly and listen to Austin talk about what happens in real-life monopoly (I'll give you a hint, you can't buy Taylor Swi…

1
Episode 134: Hypatia 30:05

11M ago30:05

30:05

This week Mattie takes us back to Ancient Alexandria and tells us all about the OG woman in STEM Hypatia. hear all about how she learned philosophy, and astronomy, and the creative way she fended off unwanted suitors. we also discuss unions and why we now hate Drew Barrymore more than Ross Geller.By Will This Be on the Test?

1
Epsiode 133: The Kent State Shootings 50:10

11M ago50:10

50:10

you aren't imagining things, Will This Be On The Test is back! and in classic Debbie Downer style, we are celebrating our triumphant return with a tragedy that shook the nation when the Ohio National Guard opened fire on unarmed student protestors. so fun... We also talk about finding cats, rescuing cats, and since we recorded this, adopting yet an…

1
How to Talk to Doctors 36:07

1y ago36:07

36:07

A minisode from Mattie! This is an unresearched ramble about her magnificent life. Well, it's more about how she's finally getting doctors to listen to her, and she hopes it helps some people. We miss y'all, but we're still here! TikTok is the easiest way to find us!By Will This Be on the Test?

1
Episode 131: Sarah Biffen 26:19

1+ y ago26:19

26:19

This Week Mattie tells us all about the amazing Sarah Biffen. the disabled woman artist that did portraits of multiple royal families in the late 18th and early 19th century. That's right, Mattie is doing an art episode this time. everything has gone mad. will Austin do one that contains actual educational value next? Twitter: @onthetestpod Faceboo…

1
Episode 130: The Tsavo Lions 39:35

1+ y ago39:35

39:35

We're Back! after a long break, we come in with the unofficial themes of our podcast! Animals that kill and the atrocities committed by Europeans. Austin goes into The Lions of Tsavo, the real actual killer lions that inspired The Ghost and The Darkness and whatever that Idris Elba movie that came out last year was. Twitter: @onthetestpod Facebook:…

1
WE’RE BACK. 0:28

1+ y ago0:28

0:28

Will This Be on the Test? returns this week!By Will This Be on the Test?

1
We’ll Be Back After These Brief Messages 2:04

2y ago2:04

2:04

We're taking a break! But, we will be back.In the meantime, please rate and review the podcast on Apple, keep your subscription active, continue following us on all the socials @onthetestpod, and letting everyone know they should shiver with antici...*SAY IT*...pation. See y'all soon!By Will This Be on the Test?

1
Episode 129: The Hobo King 37:59

2y ago37:59

37:59

This week Austin fell down a rabbit hole and ended up riding the rails with all his possessions wrapped up in a handkerchief on a stick. (or a Bindle as Mattie helpfully pointed out.) After a brief discussion about how our ghost threw a ceramic pig across a room (oh yeah, there is a MAJOR ghost update.) Austin talks about Hobos, a bit of their cult…

1
Ep 128: Are the Labor Movement, Great Resignation, & Quiet Quitting the Same 1:09:53

2y ago1:09:53

1:09:53

Its a solo episode this week and Mattie goes into labor. Let me rephrase that. Mattie talks about the Labor Movement. Like the last 200 years of progress, how Reagan made it all worse, and how in the last 2 years American workers have gone through almost a microcosm of the entire fight for labor again. We also discuss quiet quitting, how unskilled …

1
Episode 127: Not Pickleball and Mary King’s Close 52:21

2y ago52:21

52:21

This week Mattie and Austin discuss literature. really, we both read the same book and talked about it, you should read I'm Glad My Mom Died by Jennette McCurdy, we both liked it. Then Austin starts to talk about Pickleball, but it angers Mattie (she thinks Pickleball is made up,) so he talks about Matthew Hopkins. The Witchfinder General. Then Mat…

1
Episode 126: Lon Chaney and The Presidential Physical Fitness Test 1:02:22

2y ago1:02:22

1:02:22

Hello Party People! that was weird, lets try again. This week Mattie and Austin are back to their usual routine with a pretty great Episode Mattie talks about an influential figure in film and makeup that we don't learn much about, Lon Chaney. He pioneered a lot of early film makeup and became one of the first faces of the horror movie genre. Then …

1
Episode 125: speed running research 35:25

2y ago35:25

35:25

This week Mattie and Austin switched things up. instead of painstaking research over multiple days to put out an episode Mattie and Austin gave each other an unknown topic and then had to research it in only half an hour. that is right, we combined the thrill of video game speed runs with the excitement of reading and taking notes. we are legends. …

1
Episode 124: The Raccoon Invasion and Tulip mania 59:44

2y ago59:44

59:44

after being super exciting and trendy and taking their cats to the vet Mattie and Austin had enough time in their busy lives to record a new episode! Mattie starts us off by talking about those adorable lil bandits Raccoons (aka Trash Pandas) and how they are an incredibly destructive invasive species that is on an unstoppable march across Japan an…

1
Episode 123: Zoos and Pregnancy Prevention 1:33:47

2y ago1:33:47

1:33:47

ok, we are a little late getting this episode out, but it is still Tuesday in a few time zones so Mattie and Austin both agree that this episode is on time. mostly. Austin starts this week talking about Zoos. and just a bunch of wholesome animal facts with just a light sprinkling on the exploitative nature of colonialism. He also talks about his ne…

1
Episode Delay 0:28

2y ago0:28

0:28

By Will This Be on the Test?

1
Episode 122: The Randolphs Hearst and DDT 58:40

2y ago58:40

58:40

This week, Mattie and Austin have a return guest! you know him, you love him, you want to give him belly rubs, Fezzik returns to purr aggressively right into the microphone while we shout facts and tangents at you! Mattie starts by teaching us about the Hearst family and the exploits, wars, and sensationalism of an American media dynasty. We also t…

1
Episode 121: Godzilla and Father’s Day 1:14:11

2y ago1:14:11

1:14:11

This week Mattie and Austin decided to keep it chill and talk about what they thought were light topics where nothing could possibly be sad. they were both wrong. Austin tells us about Godzilla. a 1954 monster movie loved by millions that has a much darker deeper meaning than he anticipated when he started. He also ruins King Kong while he's at it.…

1
Episode 120: Oops All Diseases 1:14:27

2y ago1:14:27

1:14:27

This episode Mattie and Austin both decided to cover a disease. this was not planned. we just share a single brain cell and it does this to us some times. Mattie starts off by talking about the Bubonic Plague. specifically the American outbreak in the 1900s. that was covered up by the government. that we were never taught about. Then Austin lighten…

1
Episode 119: Alchemy and St Olga of Kiev 1:03:16

2+ y ago1:03:16

1:03:16

This week Mattie and Austin spent most of the time watching Old Enough and wishing we lived in Japan so we could walk to do simple errands in our town without getting run over by a Land Rover. but we also managed to research and record a pretty good episode Austin starts us off with a segment about Alchemy. it was absolute nonsense, but was it actu…

1
Episode 118: The Astor Place Riots 1:00:29

2+ y ago1:00:29

1:00:29

This week Mattie gets the entire episode to talk about the Astor place riots. she hinted at this in a previous episode about Broadway, and neither of us were prepared for what she found. Rivalry, nationalism, gang violence, riots, and an acting rivalry that makes Will Smith and Chris Rock look tame. is that reference still timely? let's say yes. un…

1
Episode 117: J R Brinkley and the Philip Experiment 49:57

2+ y ago49:57

49:57

We start things off talking about our new reality show favorite: Is it Cake? you should watch it Then Austin talks about probably the most Kansas history you are ever going to learn and teaches you about J R Brinkley, a doctor, and early radio pioneer that made his money the old fashioned way, by implanting goat glands into people. Then Mattie answ…

1
Episode 116: How Grammar and Punctuation Can Save Your Life And The Indus Valley Civilization 1:07:15

2+ y ago1:07:15

1:07:15

I may have exaggerated in the title, but Mattie does talk about grammar and punctuation and how court cases have been decided on typos and misplaced commas. it might not exactly save your life, but it has cost companies and governments millions of dollars. Next Austin turns the clock way back. back before even Pliny the Elder. (that's right, Austin…

1
Episode 115: The Fall of The Berlin Wall 54:00

2+ y ago54:00

54:00

This week, Mattie and Austin are back to their old reality TV habits AND Mattie talks about her amazing birthday. Then, Austin talks about the Berlin Wall. more specifically the things we think lead to it being torn down and the reality. ( I'll give you a hint, Austin relished his chance to tell us all yet again that Reagan was trash and you should…

1
Episode 114:Animal Testing and Emperor Norton 1:08:22

2+ y ago1:08:22

1:08:22

This week, Austin talks about medical animal testing. and does talk about bad things happening to animals. if you want to skip this segment and pet a cat he totally understands. Skip ahead to 34 minutes Then to lighten the mood Mattie tells us all about Emperor Norton I. The totally legitimate recognized Emperor of the United States. during this ep…

1
Episode 113: Phineas Gage and The Donner Party 1:00:14

2+ y ago1:00:14

1:00:14

By Will This Be on the Test?

1
Episode 112: Electric Cars and Murphy’s Ranch 1:15:22

2+ y ago1:15:22

1:15:22

This epsisode Austin talks way too much about Electric cars, and also what a tool Elon Musk is. Then Mattie tells us about the Murphy Ranch, the headquarters of American Nazis in the 30s and early 40s, located right outside Los Angeles. Twitter: @onthetestpod Facebook: Facebook.com/onthetestpod Insta: @onthetestpod onthetestpod.com theme song by ht…

1
Episode 111: Piltdown Man and Pythagoras 48:49

2+ y ago48:49

48:49

This week Mattie is back! and she dives headfirst into evolutionary biology and one of the biggest hoaxes to ever involve parts of an orangutan. She tells us about the missing link hoax, why people fell for it, and the ongoing who done it about who is responsible for fooling the scientific community for so long. Austin then talks about math. well, …

1
Episode 110: The Iroquois Theater fire 31:31

2+ y ago31:31

31:31

You ever get tired of your family around Christmas and go to see a movie or play to get away from them for a bit while also technically still spending time with them? well, this is a story about a time when hundreds of people died doing exactly that in Chicago in 1903. hear about the tragic Iroquois Theater fire, how it happened, and the wide sweep…

1
Episode 109: The Halifax Explosion and Toxic Positivity 1:27:47

2+ y ago1:27:47

1:27:47

This week Austin starts off by talking about Canada! they are right there to the north of us, we love them, they have amazing healthcare, and One of the deadliest accidents ever happened in Halifax when a ship exploded in 1917. it was really bad. so naturally this is the first thing Austin learned about Canada that wasn't strictly bigfoot related. …

1
Episode 108: Jury Duty and Black Cats 1:03:12

2+ y ago1:03:12

1:03:12

after a little holiday break Mattie and Austin are back. back again. Tell a friend. Mattie starts off by talking about jury duty. and mostly about all the problems we have with every step of the process. Austin talks about black cats. why are they bad luck? how many witches are involved? what exactly is the kiss of shame? Twitter: @onthetestpod Fac…

1
Delay Announcment 0:56

2+ y ago0:56

0:56

We were unable to record an episode this week, but we will be back!By Will This Be on the Test?

1
Episode 107: Benedict Arnold and Banned Books 1:21:48

2+ y ago1:21:48

1:21:48

This week Mattie got her Covid booster and it knocked her out for about 8 hours, but Austin propped her up in front of a microphone, gave her a can of redbull and we got an episode hot of her! Mattie tells us about famed American Traitor Benedict Arnold. We never learn exactly what he did or anything else about the man. or that he had some very rel…

1
Episode 106: Charles Guiteau and the Ethics of Collecting Human Bones 1:16:59

2+ y ago1:16:59

1:16:59

After going out and partying too hard last week Mattie and Austin recover just in time to bring you a new episode! James Garfield's assassination gets overshadowed by Lincoln and JFKs deaths. but it really shouldn't be. and Austin tells you why this week by covering the insane life of presidential assassin, thief, street preacher, poet, and sex cul…

1
Episode 105: Claudette Colvin and Wendigos 1:04:26

3y ago1:04:26

1:04:26

Happy Halloween Listeners! Well, I guess this is coming out a few days after Halloween. we have never been good at scheduling things ahead of time. We did record on Halloween so it counts. Mattie talks about an less well known teenaged civil rights pioneer, and why we don't learn as about her as we do Rosa Parks. and we also talk about the variety …

1
Episode 104: Ancient Aliens and Travel Tips With Mattie 1:06:37

3y ago1:06:37

1:06:37

Mattie and Austin are back from a whirlwind to the greatest city in the world, New York City! And because we can't do anything normal we spent a large chunk of it at disaster sites, a graveyard, an abandoned small pox hospital, and an old lunatic asylum. you know, the usual tourist stuff. We also saw the Olsen twins. Austin starts us off by talking…

1
Episode 103: Broadway and The Sargasso Sea 1:06:49

3y ago1:06:49

1:06:49

This week Mattie and Austin gave it 110% and watched all the entire Halloween franchise. Shout out to Kansas' greatest export Paul Rudd, Star of Halloween 6. We are absolutely going to see Halloween Kills soon and we will report back to you. Mattie starts us out by telling us all about The Great White Way (don't worry, its not related to racism OR …

1
Episode 102: The Palmer Raids and Ebooks vs Audiobooks vs Print Books 1:01:10

3y ago1:01:10

1:01:10

after a week spent fighting back pain because we old Mattie and Austin are back to blow your mind with some facts and stuff Austin starts off by telling us about the Palmer raids. the time when Federal law enforcement overstepped their bounds so much the American people actually took action. he also talks about what an asshole J Edgar Hoover was. (…

1
Episode 101: Why Arts Education is Important and Jackie Mitchell 1:11:01

3y ago1:11:01

1:11:01

We are back! after 2 weeks off we are back better than ever! and by better than ever I mean we watched reality tv and horror movies for 2 weeks. Austin says that counts as research. Mattie tells us why the arts are important and, specifically, how theater has given her most of her important life skills. Austin bores Mattie with some sports facts, b…

1
Episode 100: the Ol‘ Switcheroo 58:16

3y ago58:16

58:16

On this, our 100th Episode Mattie and Austin switch things up. Instead of researching our own topics, we each researched a topic for the other to cover. Mattie wrote a segment for Austin to read about his least favorite genre of anything. Listen as Austin slowly realizes she researched bluegrass music, and hear the annoyance in his voice as he talk…

1
Episode 99: How to Give Feedback and The St Scholastica Day Riot. 1:06:13

3y ago1:06:13

1:06:13

After a tough week, we record an episode at the last second and just manage to get it out. so we are a little rougher than usual. But I still think we are funny. Mattie gives us feedback on feedback. like the best practices for feedback in work, schools, and telling Austin to stop dancing. Austin then talks about a 600-year-old riot at Oxford and h…

1
Episode 98: Killer Whales and Eidetic Memory 1:18:51

3y ago1:18:51

1:18:51

This week Mattie and Austin saw many goats! We here at Will This Be on the Test LOVE goats, Mattie and Austin got married at a petting zoo because that meant there would be goats at the wedding and a park near our house hired goats to eat all the weeds. It was an exciting weekend. Ok, now that we have your attention with a beloved animal that almos…

1
Episode 97: Why We Don't like Poetry and Superman Smashes the Klan 1:04:30

3y ago1:04:30

1:04:30

This week, after seeing something either totally amazing or tragic at Costco, Mattie and Austin only ramble for like 10 minutes before the episode starts. Why do we hate poetry? and more importantly what exactly is poetry? Mattie tells us all about how we might not like it because it is taught in a strange way and people gatekeep the ever-living sh…

1
Episode 96: The Bear Flag Revolt and Why It's Hard to Accept Compliments 1:18:51

3y ago1:18:51

1:18:51

This week Mattie and Austin are still excited to be on upcoming episodes of Mythstorie (8/18) and Storyshout! they are both a lot of fun and you should give them a listen. Austin got perplexed by why there was a bear, just a whole ass bear standing there, on California's state flag. this led him down a rabbit hole of the most intensely American sto…

1
Episode 95: Newsies and The University of Wisconsin Humanities Building 1:12:42

3y ago1:12:42

1:12:42

Mattie and Austin actually went places and did things this week! and naturally, we both got inspired by real-world events for our topics this week. Mattie talks about the 1899 newsies strike because we went to an amazing community theater production of Newsies. the real story has less singing, probably less dancing, and certainly no dance fighting.…

1
Episode 94: Lawns and The Mercury 13 Part 3 1:21:10

3y ago1:21:10

1:21:10

This Week, our problematic fave is back and we watched Love is Blind After the Alter. and is Jessica no longer the villain? Is Mark a butthead? and Why do they keep bringing on people from Too Hot to Handle? are we going to have to watch this show now? Are they laying the groundwork for a Netflix reality show extended universe? anyway Austin talks …

1
Episode 93: The Mercury 13 (part 2) and Mt Rushmore 1:27:22

3y ago1:27:22

1:27:22

this week Mattie and Austin have to flee our unventilated and poorly insulated recording studio/ oddly shaped walk-in closet due to extreme heat. but we adapted, overcame, and recorded an episode that only sounds a little like we recorded in a cave. because we do in fact live in a cave. We probably should've mentioned that earlier. Then we get into…

1
Episode 92: Dadaism and The Mercury 13 1:20:51

3y ago1:20:51

1:20:51

This week we start off strong with Mattie's strategy for becoming the office's undisputed cryptozoology expert. A lofty professional development goal we should all aspire towards. Then we get into Austin's segment about an absurd art movement from the early 20th century that challenged how we thought about art. Austin also holds it responsible for …

1
Episode 91: HIPAA and Objectiveism 1:27:10

3y ago1:27:10

1:27:10

This week, Austin reveals the true horror of being married to Mattie. She made him watch Rent. The Movie version. It was bad, consider this a content warning. for Rent. Then Mattie gives us helpful life skill information that we should've learned in school but were not taught and goes in-depth about what is and isn't covered by HIPAA ( The Health I…

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Austin Kent Podcasts

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